Bump keys are tricky things
by violetdrops
Summary: Set during 1x07 episode of Castle. Two partners, a normal day, just arguing like always they do. Frendly competition or problems on the personal front? What will they do at the end of a stressful day in the bullpen?


**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle.**

**Note: First Castle fanfic! I reference different things from ****The Ryan Report**** but this is mostly based off the **_episode 1x07_** in the scene where Ryan and Esposito are talking about a bump key and Esposito claims Ryan doesn't know what it is.**

"_I know what a bump key is."_

"_No, you don't." _

They glare for a second, sizing each other up, and Castle watches excitedly from afar. Ryan opens he mouth to dispute Esposito's claim but they have work to do. Match, set, continuance.

Returning to the bullpen they get straight to work. The reports are written up, all paperwork accounted for. A rumbling makes itself known to the now almost empty work area. Esposito looks over at Ryan and smirks. He clicks his pen shut, closes the file, and continues smirking at Ryan who is scribbling furiously. He tauntingly grabs his coat and is just finishing putting it on when Ryan finally shuts his report with relief.

"A little slow there?" He says grabbing his keys. "You must have forgotten to pay your bill so your brain power isn't shut off."

Ryan is glaring while gathering his stuff for the night.

"I wouldn't be short on dough if you woulda honored your bet on the game last week."

Now it was Esposito's turn to glare. They walked side by side to the elevator and out into the parking garage.

"I told you I wasn't gonna pay you because you won by cheating!"

"Hey, I won fair and square, you are just jealous of my maddening skills."

"Great, now not only do you have short term amnesia, you are making lame jokes. I swore I taught you better."

Esposito shakes his head mockingly. Ryan's eyes light with a dim glow. Their eyes meet and they both laugh.

"Just because you got to homicide before me doesn't make me your rookie. We aren't in LA you know." Ryan stops walking.

"We will just have to see about that." Esposito lines up and Ryan takes his stance.

"Ready.." They each judge the distance of the car from their position.

"Set.." Ryan wiggles a bit, finding his legs a bit cramped from all the sitting they had to sit through today. Esposito loosens his tie.

"Go!" Esposito shouts are they are off running, racing to the car, racing home.

Pizza in one arm Esposito is waiting for Ryan to open the door to his apartment. It was game night. Pizza, beer, and friendship what more could he ask for?

"Bro, hurry it up or we might miss the beginning of the game."

"Yeah I'd hate to miss where all the annoying people talk in the beginning."

Ryan double checks his pockets, searching for his key. Esposito starts to tap his foot impatiently.

"If I'd have made a bump key, I betcha I woulda gotten the door open by now."

"I have my key so there is no point."

"A key you can't use to get in the door because you lost it." Oh, point taken. Score one for Esposito. "Plus, what if it is like a life alert commercial where you've fallen and can't get up, what then?"

"Well, I'd expect you'd break down the door?"

"And bust my shoulder?"

"What are friends for?"

Esposito shuffles with the pizza, moving it out of his way, so Ryan can see the full blown grin on his face.

"Would you like me to call in a search team, Detective?"

"Be quiet, Officer Smartypants. Or do I need to order you to?"

"Hey! I'm the senior officer here."

Five minutes of squabbling later Ryan finally finds his key.

"If I'd made a bump key.." Esposito starts to mumble. He missed the first ten minutes of the game and is rightly annoyed. He motions for another slice of pizza so Ryan being in the gracious host he is, and the one his partner is now mad at, gets him one. Taking the plate, without looking from the screen, Esposito slides his fingers across the plate. What he finds is not a slice of extra cheese but a golden key. His eyes widen as he looks what is now in his hand. Staring at the key he doesn't care that he missed the beginning of the playoffs. Glancing over a Ryan he meets the cool blue eyes.

"Just saving you the trouble of making a bump key. And you know having a misdemeanor on your record." Ryan shifts on the couch, not quite able to look away from his best friends face. Esposito tortures him for a second more before replying.

"I guess with a good judgment call like that you aren't my rookie anymore." His grin widens a little more when he says, "So I guess we'll just have to make you to my official partner huh?"

Somehow Ryan thinks they weren't just talking about work. A million things run through his mind but before he can think of something witty his body betrays him and his answering grin matches his partners. He reminds himself to hide the dictionary before Esposito goes into the kitchen.

**Author note: Anybody catch the Southland references? Even though they aren't really references, haha. I'm probably the only nerd who obsesses over the trainer/rookie relationship on that show.. **


End file.
